After All These Years
by FlGatorGirl95
Summary: For the first time in ten years, they see each other. Everything comes back to her. They each tell their daughters the story of how they were conceived. Now she needs to find him, to be with him again. Futuristic Dasey, of course. Better than it sounds.
1. I Saw Her, I Saw Him

**Author's Note: Wow. My very first fanfiction! Please review, so I can know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. I really do love constructive criticism, guys. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LwD or anything else, except for a few OCs. :)**

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1. I Saw Her, I Saw Him

Derek couldn't believe his eyes as he opened the door and saw her bending over the seat in a cab. His wife that he hadn't seen in almost ten years. He was sure that she was bending over their daughter. His mind briefly wandered back upstairs, in his apartment. His best friend, Sam, was taking care of his other daughter, who was taking a sick day, as he went to work. He felt his breath catch. He didn't even notice his coffee mug crash to the ground.

Casey's head snapped up when she heard a crash on the ground and saw his face, frozen solid, staring at her. It all came back to her, the mystery she had been living for the past ten years. She had no idea that just seeing his face would bring it all back to her.

They told her she had amnesia. She thought she had adopted her own daughter. Derek wasn't in the room at the time she woke up. She didn't know why because whenever she was in the hospital, he seemed to be the first one there. The very first thing she remembered was breaking up with Truman and having an argument with Derek afterward. Everything after that went blank.

Casey was wearing a baby blue, long jacket that matched her eyes. She had a purple shirt and a black skirt underneath, wearing a scarf that matched her shirt. She turned around to her daughter and kissed her cheek a second time, "I'll see you when you get home, Sweetheart. Have a wonderful day at school."

Before her daughter could respond, Casey slammed the door shut and turned back to where Derek was standing only a second ago, only to find he had been long gone. His coffee mug was shattered on the ground. Casey sighed and climbed up the steps to her new apartment. She finally earned enough savings to move out of her mother's house with George, Marti, and Missy, her half-sister. After years of working her tail off at Smelly Nellie's, finishing college and raising her daughter, she'd finally earned a living. A small one, granted, but it was one she wanted. For the moment, anyway.

Derek pressed the elevator button for his floor, the fifteenth, agitatedly. He'd just call one of his team members to lead practice for him. He pulled out his cell phone and did just that. "Simmons? This is Coach Venturi. I can't make practice today because my little girl is sick. I know, I know and I'm really sorry, too. You know that I'd be there any other time but I just can't. I'll explain next week. Bye."

Finally, the elevator door began to close, just as Casey walked in the front door of the lobby. She saw him in the elevator and waved, a sweet smile plastered on her face. He, dumbly, waved back. He had no idea what he was doing.

His past had finally caught up to him. He was devastated when he learned his wife had amnesia and even more so when she claimed she never wanted to see him again. His father and step-mother asked that he respected his step-sister's wishes.

They had a fight that day, before he went to his classes. She had took of her wedding ring in anger at him and then returned cleaning the kitchen floor. The way they went to Queen's was quite simple; their parents rented them an apartment so they could raise their twins together. One went to class one day and the other went to class the next. It was how they requested their schedules be set up. On the weekends, they could spend time together as a family and sometimes went home to see their parents and baby sister.

That day, though, she slipped and bumped her head. She woke up in a hospital room with no memory of the previous year.

Derek slammed his apartment door behind him, causing Sam and Jory, his daughter, to jump in shock as he fed her chicken noodle soup. The soup, needless to say, splashed to the ground, ignored.

"Dude, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Sam arched a brow. He was on "vacation" for his job. His wife, Kendra, was pleased with that and would be arriving later on to help take care of Marjory, Jory for short.

"No, but close." Derek darkly responded and sat down at his chair that was next to the couch.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Jory inquired, lifting her head to look at him. Question was evident in her eyes that looked so much like her mother's.

Derek stared right into them, "I saw her."

Casey McDonald-supposedly-Venturi was pacing her apartment, screaming at the phone. Her mother was on the other line, taking everything her daughter had to dish-out on her. "Mother, how could you not tell me that I was married to Derek and had his twins? Do you know how I feel about this? I absolutely hate him and am in love with him at the same time! Can you explain that to me, Mother? When I saw him gaping at me today, I had the urge to both punch him and kiss him. Not only that, I remember everything that happened between us! Why didn't you tell me?" Casey finaly collapsed in her armchair and began breathing heavily.

"Casey, Sweetheart, I know you're upset but the doctor told us that it's best for you to remember your past on your own. If we told you everything, confusion would absorb your mind and it just wouldn't be good for you."

"Yeah, like confusion isn't absorbing me now, Mother." Casey hissed and hung up the phone, letting her memories consume her.

"You saw who?" Jory asked for the third time that minute.

Derek's mind snapped out of his thoughts, "Your mom. I saw her with your sister today."

Sam patted his friend's shoulder, "Do you think Jory is old enough to hear the story?"

"Which one?" Derek asked his long-time friend. Sam gave him a look that said that it all and Derek groaned, "I don't know. She's mature like her mother, that's for sure..."

"Someone just tell me the story, please." Jory begged, about ready to jump off the couch.

Derek chuckled deeply and got up to kiss her daughter's cheek, "She's impatient like her mother, too. I'm talking about how you and your sister were..." Derek coughed uncomfortably as he said it, "How you and your sister were conceived, how your mother and I married and everything that happened that summer before college."

"Tell me, tell me!" Jory giggled, "It'd be like the greatest story never told."

Derek smiled, remembering his little sister saying almost exactly the same thing about the story when he and his wife met. "It all started when Casey, your mother, broke up with her boyfriend for the second time for cheating on her. Again..."

_Casey slammed the door shut behind her, trying not to let the tears fall. Derek was sitting in his usual position in front of the television but had glanced up to see her contorted expression. He stood up, "Case, are you okay?"_

_To some, especially to Casey, Derek had a heart of stone. A very cold stone, at that. Whenever he acted sympathetic to her, it shocked everyone. Casey choked out a sob as he spoke, "Derek, I'm crying because my boyfriend cheated on me. Again."_

_"I'll kill him." Derek exclaimed, causing Casey to glare at him._

_"This is all your fault anyway, Derek!" Casey screeched at him, "You're the one that was selfish enough to want to go out with Emily at prom and practically forced me into his arms!"_

_"Chill out, Princess!" Derek barked back at her, now exactly in front of her. "You're the poor cry-baby that couldn't handle being single for prom. You're the one that, as soon as Truman could get you cornered, gave into him and kissed him. You've always been weak at the game of love."_

_Casey wiped her tears away and stood straight up so she could look at him straight in the eyes. Once again in their lifetime, blue eyes clashed with brown. "I'm not the only one who can't stand to be single, you fake-ass hypocrite."_

_Derek backed down as she finished her sentence and allowed her to run past him up to her bedroom. He stood in the same position dumbly for the next twenty minutes until the rest of the family came out of the kitchen. "Derek?" Marti inquired, causing him to snap out of his trance._

_"What is it, Smarti?" Derek responded, turning around to face her. _

_"We're all going to get pictures of the baby in Nora's stomach. Do you want to come with us?"_

_Derek shook his head, "Nah. I think I should keep an eye on Princess in case she decides to commit suicide."_

_Nora's eyes widened at this, "Truman broke up with her?"_

_"No. Truscum cheated on her. Again." Derek answered, sitting back down in his chair._

_Nora gave her husband a worried look, "Maybe I should go check on her. I can reschedule the check-up."_

_George shook his head, "Derek can take care of his sister. Right, Derek?"_

_"Step-sister," Derek corrected, even though Casey had claimed it to be the same thing. He didn't believe it for a second and had responded sarcastically to her. She couldn't tell the difference at the time though. Everything had to be perfect and to just hear him say those words, not paying attention to the connotation to it at all, made her world a little bit better._

_"Right," George grinned at his wife at this, giving her a sly wink. "We'll see you later, D."_

Casey picked up her daughter early that day, giving a family emergency as an excuse. This caused Nikki to genuinely worry. Once in the cab, Casey informed her daughter that everything was okay... She had just gotten her memory back.

"Can you tell me what you remember, Mommy?" Nikki asked, ecstatically.

"Of course," Casey agreed. Her daughter was a lot more mature than her husband, which she was thankful for. "It all started after I broke up with Truman for cheating on me for the second time. Derek was there and basically told me off. I dished it right back to him and ran up to my room..."

_Casey was sobbing in her room, the music turned up way too loud. She was waiting for her mother to come in to check on her or Lizzie or somebody. The very last person she expected was Derek. She arched a brow at him as he sat at the foot of her bed. He had even closed the door behind him._

_"What do you want?"_

_"To ap---" Derek made a face, "To apologize."_

_Casey didn't try to hide her utter surprise in this, "Really? You want to apologize to me? Derek Venturi is apologizing to Casey McDonald? Casey McDonald is being apologized to by Derek Venturi? I'm being---"_

_"No matter how many different ways you say it, Princess, it's still the same thing." Derek retorted, scornfully. Casey closed her mouth and kept it locked up tight. "As I was trying to say, I'm sorry, Case... I truly am. I just... I don't like seeing you hurt."_

_"Unless it's by you?"_

_"No." Derek shook his head, "Even if it's by me, I hate seeing you in pain. Casey, you may not realize this but... You're my best friend."_

_Casey's jaw dropped, "W-what?"_

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**Author's Note: I had to stop sometime. :/ Please review!**


	2. A Kiss to Change Their Lives Forever

**Author's Note: Thanks for all of the amazing reviews! I appreciate them, really!**

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2. A Kiss to Change Their Lives Forever

Jory's mouth dropped in utter shock, "You mean; after all those years of fighting, verbally and physically, you told her she was your best friend? Even better than Uncle Sammy?"

"Yeah," Sam repeated. "Even better than me?"

Derek smiled at his friend sheepishly and then turned back to his daughter, "Well... Yeah. As good as a friend your Uncle Sammy is, Casey and I fought recklessly and, somehow, we managed to learn everything about each other. Our faults, our weaknesses, our dreams and our strengths."

Jory nodded, understanding, "Please go on with the story."

_"You're my best friend," Derek repeated with a flirtatious smile. At least, it seemed that way to Casey. Her cheeks grew warm as the thought absorbed her subconscious mind. Almost simultaneously, Derek scooped her hand up and rubbed it with his thumb. This caused her cheeks to become completely crimson and she was suddenly very thankful for the dim light. She smiled back at her step-brother._

_"How is that so?" Casey inquired, putting her own flirty smile. Deeply she wondered, however, what the heck she was getting herself into._

"You gave in, just like that?" Nikki exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"No, I did not give in, 'just like that', Miss Priss." Casey stuck her tongue out at her daughter as she walked around the counter with two mugs of hot chocolate. They had arrived home after twenty minutes in traffic and Casey was more than delighted that she had finished unpacking most of their belongings the day before. There were only a few boxes left scattered around their apartment.

"Then... Can you explain a little bit further, Mother?"

Casey giggled and sat down on the couch, handing her daughter a mug filled with whipped cream and marshmallows. "Okay, okay. The truth is, though I refused to admit it to anyone, was that I was in love with my step-brother. You know me, Nikki; I have to have everything in---"

"Perfect order," Nikki finished with a smile as she pulled back from her mug. There was a white mustache now on her lips and her mom laughed, wiping it off.

"Exactly," Casey pulled back, sipping her own drink. "So I was in love with my step-brother but I couldn't be. It was that twisted turn of fate of my mom marrying his dad. In reality, if they hadn't married, we wouldn't have met. However, if they hadn't married, we probably would have met and fell in love that way."

"I'm not quite so sure, Mom. I mean... Just because he was your step-brother didn't mean anything. Yes, people in society probably wouldn't accept it but who cares?" Nikki arched her eyebrow, "You were in love and it wasn't some stupid childhood crush."

"How did I get such a smart daughter?" Casey asked and Nikki just rolled her eyes.

"Just finish the story, Mom."

_So Derek explained to her how after all these years of fighting, it always meant something more to him. Casey grinned after hearing this and shrugged, "I suppose you're right. It's always meant something more to me, too."_

_"Casey, I'm not one to share my feelings often but..."_

_"You feel like you have no choice with me?" Casey finished for him, "Yeah, I feel the same way. It's just like all my frustrations with you reveals something deeper... You know?"_

_"Yeah, I do."_

_"I take back what I said about brothers and step-brothers being the same difference. It's not. I guess I was just scared that something would happen between us. We've been getting closer and closer with every argument." Casey sighed and shook her head, "I was afraid of what everyone might think of us..."_

_"If we dated?" Derek chuckled, "They can't do anything to us. Did you know that Principal L is married to his step-sister?" Casey gasped and Derek laughed once again, "It's true."_

"Dude, no he wasn't." Sam glared at his friend, "That was Paul. Principal L was never married."

"Casey didn't know that." Derek argued, "Besides, it's not like I didn't tell her about Paul, too..."

_"So is Paul," Derek revealed and Casey choked on her own laughter._

_"Wow. I guess it's not that big of a deal anyway, huh?"_

_"No." Derek shook his head and suddenly realized they were still hold, actually _caressing_, each other's hands. He let go, embarrassed. Casey frowned as the warmth that was in her hand left her. She had waited for this moment to happen for so long. She wasn't going to make the first move, though. If Derek wanted her, he'd have to show her._

_"Casey, you're more than my best friend..." Derek groaned, rubbing his temples. "I don't want to say it but I'm in love with you. I don't think I can stop teasing you or pulling pranks on you but my feelings for you have always been true."_

_Casey gave him a soft smile, not showing her teeth but the sweetness was still there. "I think I'm in love with you, too."_

Jory choked on her soup, "What? You just told her that? You're not good with your feelings, Daddy! How could you just up and tell Mom that?"

Both of Derek's eyebrows shot up, "I don't know. It just felt like I couldn't stop talking at that point. All my words were like barf that night. It wasn't until she did something to shut me up."

_"All these years fighting, arguing and angry flirting was just nothing... Did you know that Sam once said that our glares were like eye-sex? He actually said that to me once. It was after the two of you broke up."_

_The phone rang, "Hello?" Casey answered immediately, "Hey, Mom! What's up? You're staying the night at the hospital? Why? Marti got car-sick again? All over Lizzie. Again. Oh, okay. I love you, too. Bye."_

_"When Emily and I broke up, she said that it was because she knew I was in love with you. Can you believe that? My own girlfriend knew that I was in love with my step-sister. I think it was the biggest mistake of my---"_

_"Derek?" Casey interrupted him, leaning forward._

_"What?" Derek asked, his chocolate eyes wide with confusion._

_Casey's lips touched his softly, at first, but Derek wrapped his strong arms around her back and intensified the kiss. Casey snaked her arms behind his neck, parted her lips and allowed him entrance to her mouth. Sparks were flying, that was definitely true. Electricity was running up and down both of their bodies. It was the best kiss either of them had ever experienced in their life._

"I thought you were going to wait for him to make the first move, Mom!" Nikki yelled at her mother, her mug now sitting on the coffee table, finished.

"I grew impatient," Casey shrugged. "Besides, he did need to shut up. I couldn't have predicted what was going to happen next. Our hormones were... Out of control. He and I had something that was called U.S.T."

"What's that?" Nikki made a face at her mother.

"Unresolved sexual tension." Casey answered, "Don't ever allow any boy to have it with you because, trust me, it will get you in trouble."

_"Der-ek," Casey moaned as their tongues battled for dominance. Derek had somehow managed to slip his hands underneath her shirt, intensifying both of their actions. _

_"I love you Casey." Derek said as he unhooked her bra._

_Casey moved her head to the side and he ended up kissing her cheek. He pulled back in shock, realizing that he was now ontop of her on the bed. Both of them were breathing extremely hard, trying to catch their breath. Derek tried pulling back but Casey stopped him, "No." Casey shook her head as she clutched onto his shirt, "I'm more than ready. I was just making sure you were."_

_A smirk graced Derek's lips and he continued back to what he was doing. Casey grinned as his lips touched hers once more._

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**Author's Note: Review? I'd love you forever!**


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